Category Archives: Restaurants

Double Michelin-starred chef Michael Caines has been the executive chef at Gidleigh Park in Devon for 21 years this year and also founded the Abode boutique hotel group. He has written books and regularly appears on TV. He lives in Devon with his wife Zoe and has three children, Joseph, 12, Hope, 9, and India, 3

Describe your kitchen…

It’s an amazing kitchen and it’s designed around the idea of integrated cooking and dining so it’s perfect for entertaining: it’s open-plan with a central island to cook on. I didn’t want it to feel like an industrial kitchen but it’s got clean lines and Miele stoves in both induction and gas and a wok burner. I’ve got a steamer and coffee machine built-in and two ovens so that I can cook things at different temperatures. It’s a great space for entertaining but also for relaxing and watching TV – I put a lot of thought into the design and I’m really pleased with how it’s turned out.

What’s your most used kitchen gadget?

I couldn’t do without my KitchenAid and blender, but I also rely on more low-tech gadgets like my pestle and mortar so that I can make my own spice mixes. My garlic press is probably one of the most-used gadgets in my kitchen – it’s just so easy.

What do you eat at home?

I cook lots of curries, stir-fries, roasts and pasta – things that the kids will eat too. And I bake a lot, it’s a great way to involve children in cooking. If they get involved with cooking it then they’re more inclined to eat it.

What’s your favourite cookbook?

I don’t buy cookbooks but I do get given a lot – I use them for ideas and inspiration. But the one that I do use at home is a really old book from the Seventies that used to be my mum’s called How to be a Good Housewife – it’s full of really patronising things like how to lay a table, but it’s got some really great cake recipes in it, including a Christmas pudding recipe that I love.

I use Asian cookbooks as I don’t cook Asian food in my work so I’ve learnt a lot from them

What are your store-cupboard staples?

Salt, garlic, Chinese five spices, olive oil and fresh herbs from the garden.

Do you have a favourite fast and easy meal that you could share with us?

I make a really easy seafood pasta dish – although I do also like to make my own pasta as I have a pasta maker at home. But I finish my pasta slightly differently, when it’s almost cooked I put some olive oil in a pan, sweat some garlic, and add some chilli, parsley and a little bit of the pasta cooking water and then I toss the pasta in the pan and finish the pasta in the pan to seal in the flavours. And then I serve the seafood separately, rather than mixing it all together.

What three things would you save from your kitchen in a fire?

Mum’s cookbook, my set of Robert Welch knives and my pestle & mortar.

Your favourite restaurant?

The Ledbury in London.

Last supper?

It would be seafood platter followed by roast chicken with all the trimmings, and then cheese and wonderful fruit to finish.

Your food hero?

I’m all about looking forward not back, so I don’t really spend time thinking about heroes or mentors. I’ve worked with some amazing chefs including Raymond Blanc and Joel Robuchon but my focus is on the future.

Guilty food pleasure?It’s go to be takeaways – I love a good Indian or Thai takeaway.

How did you get into cooking?It started at home – I’d help mum baking cakes to start with and then we had a large kitchen garden so I’d help Dad grow things to cook and it just became a hobby and then a passion that turned into a career. There were no celebrity chefs back then so I never thought about it as a job, it was something I did for fun.

Is that why you focus on seasonal and local produce?I focussed on regional food because 20-odd years ago you couldn’t get more exotic or unusual ingredients in rural Devon, so it made sense to concentrate on what was around me and available – especially as the natural larder in the south west is incredible. There was just one delivery a week coming from London at that time. And at the time, local and seasonal food wasn’t a big thing so it was something quite different to be doing. My food has evolved and I’ve grown more confident in my own style as I’ve progressed.

You overcame a personal tragedy when you joined Gidleigh Park and went on to win two Michelin stars there – how did losing your arm change your outlook?

It had a massive impact on me physically and psychologically but I was determined to overcome it as I had too much to lose. The first year was the hardest but when I got past it I could see how much I had achieved.

And what advice would you give to others in a similar situation or with obstacles to overcome?My advice would be to take it one step at a time. The best way to persevere is to surround yourself with friends and family and create an atmosphere that gives you a positive mindset.

You’ve been at Gidleigh for 21 years this year – how has cooking and the food scene changed in that time?So much has changed, fine dining has become less formal but there is still as huge place for it. I’m all about championing local and seasonal food and people are much more aware of that today. Food has become much more of a lifestyle choice – people are much more discerning about what and where they eat. I’m pleased that some of the gimmickry that has been around in recent years has passed – I don’t believe in de-constructing anything, ever.

Is fine-dining dead?No. It’s still the highest form of cuisine and people want to go out and feel special and dress up. But people don’t want the pomp any more or to be made to feel uncomfortable. The premise is the same but the application is different, and that’s a good thing – fine dining is more accessible than ever. Food isn’t an elite sport, everyone deserves to eat good food.

And where do you get the best Devon scones?I make them!

Michael Caines will be cooking in the On5 restaurant at Royal Ascot this June (0844 346 0346,www.ascot.co.uk).

ALISON TYLER

This article first appeared in Metro on 14 April 2015.

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Farmer and foodie Jimmy Doherty, 39, is best known as the presenter of Food Unwrapped and one half of Jamie and Jimmy’s Food Fight Club, which he presents with his childhood friend Jamie Oliver. He lives on his farm in Suffolk with his wife Michaela and daughter Molly Rose, 4.…

We were driving down to Wiltshire on Friday, minus the children, with an hour or three to spare. We were hungry. "Is there anywhere that we could stop about an hour from here," asked my husband optimistically somewhere between Worcester and Gloucester trundling down the M5. I scoured the map.…

We were driving down to Wiltshire on Friday, minus the children, with an hour or three to spare. We were hungry. “Is there anywhere that we could stop about an hour from here,” asked my husband optimistically somewhere between Worcester and Gloucester trundling down the M5.

I scoured the map. We didn’t really want to drive in to Bristol as we were heading south-east of there, to explore the Somerset/Wiltshire borders. And then I remembered I’d been wanting to try The Ethicurean for a while. But where was it? Not quite in Bristol.

A Google search and phone call later we were booked in to this ethical, hyper-local, sustainable restaurant that sits in a walled garden south of Bristol. I say restaurant, but The Ethicurean is really a ramshackle greenhouse and shed, stuck to one corner of the Barley Wood Walled Garden. If that makes it sound scruffy, then you shouldn’t go. But if you love the romantic notion of sitting in the orangery of the very garden that the produce on your plate was grown in, and to hell with a bit of damp on the walls, or the wonky mis-matched tables and chairs, then this is the place for you.

The Ethicurean (photo by Jason Ingram)

As a gardener, an interiors addict and a greedy appetite for food, I was in heaven! Looking out, sipping cider from apples grown in the orchard, you could imagine Peter Rabbit might pop up at any moment and steal an organic carrot.

But, romance aside, the aims of this place are in credible. Virtually all of the food comes from the garden or is foraged locally, so menus are created each day according to what’s on offer. I was worried that we were visiting at possibly the worst time of the year – the winter season over, nothing would be growing for spring yet, apart from the earliest wild garlic and maybe some nettles and rhubarb.

The Ethicurean (photo by Jason Ingram)

I needn’t have been. They pickle and preserve what they can, so the beetroot starter with strained goats cheese was divine. They also make their own cider from the apples and even their own vermouth to go in the Negronis. Our other starter – cider and cheddar Welsh rarebit – did not disappoint. The cider and cheese had been cooked and turned in to a thick fondue, then spread on the doorstep slab of home-baked bread and grilled into submission. A sharp salad of winter leaves and pickled carrot in place of tomatoes, cut through the rich rarebit to clean the palette.

Our mains were even better – considering the chefs were cooking in a shed the size of, well, a shed, this was a miracle. My pork belly was pressed to squeeze out some of the fat and served with chipotle crackling, more beetroot, pickled apple slices and deep, forest green kale. The husband’s bavette was succulent and stylishly presented. We may have been in a garden but there was no heavy-handed presentation, the finesse of the food and it’s delectable flavours were matched by the delicate presentation.

The Ethicurean

Pudding? Sticky toffee apple pudding! It could have had more sauce – as the husband pointed out, it isn’t hard to whip up – but it was moist and treacly without being stodgy or heavy. All in all, we were bowled over.

The only thing we couldn’t understand on this sunny, blustery spring Friday lunchtime, was why it wasn’t packed out? People of Bristol, what are you doing?! Perhaps you’re already too spoiled for choice by great, ethical, locally-sourced eateries…

The news that Berkeley Street has become London’s hottest gastronomic real estate may not come as a surprise to foodies, but where are the most delicious streets in other cities?

The view from GB1 in Brighton

Brighton: Kings Road

Situated on the seafront, this is the go-to destination for any food fan, especially seafood lovers.

Salt Room

The hottest new opening, right on the seafront, is The Salt Room, sister to the Brighton’s famous Coal Shed steak restaurant, who’s menu focuses on sustainable British fish, including cuttlefish, bouillabaisse and lobster – but the huge cocktail list is worth the trip alone.

The stylish GB1

Or try GB1, a glam culinary hotspot that is renowned for its exceptional seafood. Grab a seat at the central champagne and oyster bar and share a seafood platter, all sourced from the south coast – with 75 per cent caught within an eight-mile radius of the hotel.

Other King’s Road favourites include Smokeys, for a flavour of America (great for a Californian brunch), Steki, a Greek taverna with live music, and the Regency restaurant for traditional seaside fish and chips.

The seafood afternoon tea at the Victoria Lounge

Head to the Victoria Lounge Bar and Terrace at the Grand Hotel for afternoon tea with a seaside twist – think salted scones served with crème fraiche, chives and Keta caviar, and treacle-cured salmon. Or make for the Hilton’s Waterhouse bar and terrace to sip on Sussex Mules and chow down on a local Hailsham lamb burger.

Start at the original Pieminster shop for a steak and ale pie washed down with a local craft beer, stop at Poco – voted Best Ethical Restaurant by The Guardian – for global tapas plates including roasted belly of pork with fennel crackling, homemade Moroccan harissa and chorizo and merguez sausages, then there’s an incredible co-operative called The Canteen, where free live music sets the backdrop for affordable “slow food” that’s all super sustainable and ethical.

Poco

There are two Caribbean restaurants – Rice and Tings and Plantation which turns into a salsa club after hours. For more musical inspiration, stop at the pub where George Ezra was discovered, the Gallimaufry, a curious bar combining local art, music, home cooking and good drinks, all under one roof.

Huevos rancheros at Bakers and Co

Another late-night institution, Biblos is the place for wraps and snacks, while the morning after you’ll find everyone brunching at Baker’s and Co, a San Francisco-inspired café and deli where everything is baked from scratch.

Edinburgh’s Grassmarket

Edinburgh: Grassmarket

The historic cobbled streets of the Grassmarket in Edinburgh’s Old Town are packed with amazing culinary independent shops and restaurants.

Melli’s Cheese

Tempt your taste buds with some foodie shopping: Demijohn was the world’s first liquid deli when it opened in 2004 selling bespoke vinegars, oils and liqueurs; Melli’s Cheese is an Edinburgh institution that stocks the city’s best restaurants and is a delight for the senses; get a flavour of Scotland at the Saturday Market, which has an abundance of locally grown and produced organic vegetables, artisan breads, fresh meat and fish as well as street food and the most amazing gin macaroons.

Hula Juice bar

Make a pit stop at the Hula Juice Bar – the Betty Ford Detox Smoothie is virtue in a glass; for something less saintly try Mary’s Milk Bar for a cosy gelato, hot chocolate or freshly-made chocolate truffles – you can even join the monthly truffle-making masterclass. If you like your tipples a little stronger there’s a clutch of traditional pubs including the White Hart Inn, Beehive Inn and the Last Drop Tavern.

OInk hog roast

As for dining out, new arrival Oink specialises in delicious hog roasts from the owners’ Scottish Borders farm, while Maison Bleue offers an eclectic mix of French, North African and Scottish cuisine all sourced from local suppliers and producers. Mamma’s Pizzeria serves some of Edinburgh’s best, fresh stone-baked pizza alongside delicious steak on the stone, pasta and a great range of starters, sides and desserts.

Grain Store

But for a truly Scottish treat seek out the Grain Store, above the market and beneath stone vaulted ceilings and archways of the original storerooms used by the warren of shops below, serving the very best of Scottish produce.

Circo Lounge

Bournemouth: Poole Road

The Westbourne neighbourhood, centring around Poole Road is brimming with independent delis, cool cafes and artisan food shops, just a 15-minute stroll from the beach.

Le Petit Prince bakery

Le Petit Prince on Poole Road sells delicious, award-winning bread made on the premises as well as cakes and coffees; a little further up the road is Chocol8, a luxury chocolate shop and coffee lounge.

Something savoury? Badger and Bumble is a fab deli offering British cheeses and pies; Circo Lounge is a laidback brunch and tapas bar with a cool, casual vibe, while Geneve, an American-style diner and burger joint is one of the best places to eat in Bournemouth.

Circo Lounge

Best of all, you can bag up your farmers market (on the first Saturday of every month) and deli feast and wander through a wooded pathway from here to Alum Chine beach for a picnic al fresco.

Trinity Kitchen

Leeds: Trinity Leeds, Boar Lane

The city’s glossy, glass-covered shopping area, is also home to some of the best restaurants and to Trinity Kitchen – each month five different street food trucks are lifted into this industrial-chic space to create an ever-changing, vibrant grab-and-go eatery, that’s as cool as it is affordable.

Noisette bakery

For cocktails, try the garden-inspired Botanist and share a watering can (yes, really) with friends – the Raspberry and Sage (sage, black grapes, raspberry vodka, elderflower liqueur, grenadine, white wine and lemonade) is our favourite pick. The Alchemist is a stylish spot for a lazy brunch or lunch.

Kerb Edge at Trinity Kitchen

For something more substantial, Crafthouse, five storeys above Boar Lane with glittering views, headed up by Lee Bennett pays homage to the areas amazing local producers and serves up the best of British and Yorkshire. Angelica, on Trinity’s top floor, has become the city’s latest go-to destination for drinks and dinner – the Raw Bar and the rooftop terrace are the must-book seats.

Trinity Kitchen

Meanwhile, Meatliquor will satisfy and burger cravings, and those with a sweet tooth should head down Boar Lane to Roast and Conch, the flagship café and restaurant from the team behind Hotel Chocolat.

Manchester House

Manchester: Spinningfields

One of the city’s most vibrant, newest destinations, Spinningfields is fast-becoming Manchester’s gastro capital.

Manchester House in Bridge Street serves Michelin-worthy modern British food (from Michelin chef Aiden Byrne) in a warehouse setting, while it’s lounge bar up on the 12th floor and roof of the building is a real draw too, with 360 degree views of the city.

Manchester House

The Left Bank Café in the People’s History Museum is a lovely place to catch up over lunch or a glass of wine, make sure to bag a seat on the waterside balcony. Pick up sweet treats at Hey Little Cupcake, or move straight onto the stronger stuff at Oast House or Neighbourhood – a Manhattan-inspired bar.

The Lawn Club reopens next month with a members-club feel and a retractable roof so that you can savour drinks and British small plates (very now) al fresco.

ALISON TYLER

This article appeared in Metro on 17 March 2015

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We were driving down to Wiltshire on Friday, minus the children, with an hour or three to spare. We were hungry. "Is there anywhere that we could stop about an hour from here," asked my husband optimistically somewhere between Worcester and Gloucester trundling down the M5. I scoured the map.…

I'm really excited to see the street food trend expanding outside London. And on 22 May, chef Marcus Bean is launching Eat Street in Shropshire's medieval county town of Shrewsbury. Among the eight traders that will be showcasing their street food will be seasoned street food favourites: The Beefy Boys…

This week I headed to St Katherine's Dock in London to new Japanese-Peruvian (aka Nikkei cuisine, which is the same as Nobu serves) eatery Amaru. It's small and a mix of take-out and eat-in food, but it's brilliant value (think £4-£6 a dish) and amazing quality. The miso soup was…

This week I headed to St Katherine’s Dock in London to new Japanese-Peruvian (aka Nikkei cuisine, which is the same as Nobu serves) eatery Amaru. It’s small and a mix of take-out and eat-in food, but it’s brilliant value (think £4-£6 a dish) and amazing quality.

Toasted sesame-crusted tuna with truffle shavings at Amaru, London

The miso soup was rich and dark and silky smooth; spicy edamame had a coating of sticky and delicious hot sauce, and sesame seeds for added crunch; the toasted sesame-crusted tuna with truffle and avocado looked almost too beautiful to eat. My favourite was the Peruvian cured beef, wrapped around shredded sweet potato with yuzu, although the rich chocolate ganache cake with mandarin wasabi was pretty dreamy, too (a bargain at £5). Light and airy, it was completely moreish – so much for the “one spoonful” that I was planning to eat!

This gem of a place seats just 15 and is designed to look like a Japanese izakaya bar inside – it’s the perfect place to try eating healthily without even realising it.

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One of the biggest trends of the past year has been for restaurants to do less, but do it better, whether it’s chicken, burgers or lobster. Den is set to do the same thing for noodles. There’s nothing flashy or pretentious about this local, light and airy, Wagamama-style udon diner.…

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One of the biggest trends of the past year has been for restaurants to do less, but do it better, whether it’s chicken, burgers or lobster. Den is set to do the same thing for noodles.

There’s nothing flashy or pretentious about this local, light and airy, Wagamama-style udon diner. But that’s the point. The short menu comprises of freshly made udon noodles in a ramen broth or without broth; donburi rice dishes, and some delicious sides – the prawn and vegetable tempura was light and crispy and tender, sake-steamed clams tasted like the seaside, by way of Japan.

Black dashi udon with vegetables

Black dashi, udon, and prawn tempura

Seasonal vegetables with sesame

“Carbonara” udon

Chicken Kara Age

White dashi udon with salmon

The miso broth, or dashi, and noodles are both made in-house everyday and the menu changes according to what’s seasonal. Pork Belly and cabbage udon in a really umami-flavoured miso broth was both delicate and bold, without feeling too heavy; while the chicken curry donburi felt like a healthier and far more authentic version of a katsu curry.

Best of all, it was brilliantly affordable with excellent, friendly service, making it a great spot for a lunch or quick supper, just a short stroll from Kings Cross.

Udonwon’t break your diet or healthy eating regime – udon is huge in Japan because it has fewer calories than ramen, soba or pasta.

Everything is be made in house – from the noodles to their dashi broth. There are two dashis: white dashi (made with bonito flakes, dried seaweed and soy sauce) and black dashi (white dashi mixed with strong soy sauce to produce a richer, umami taste).

The Head Chef is Emi Machida – she knows her stuff having held Chef de Partie positions at Koya and Bone Daddies.

So earlier this week I did Tanya Maher’s raw alkaline juice cleanse for 48 hours (read more about that here) – and then a little bit longer as I started day three with a green juice and a lemon tea with chia seeds.

Yes, there were a couple of spots (a sign it’s working and toxins are leaving your body), but I wasn’t sure if I’d feel any other “benefits”. In fact I was worried if feel lethargic and hungry.

How wrong was I?! My tummy never rumbled (though I wouldn’t say I felt full); I lost two pounds in two days (!); my skin looks better, AND – the best news – that mummy tummy (or stomach boob as I think of it, there’s no polite way to describe the saggy trouser overhang!) has quite visibly shrunk.

I cannot believe it. And I certainly did not expect such a radical reaction in two days. I’ve had that horrid tummy fat for four years!!!

So if you’re unsure about whether to do a juice cleanse (make sure it’s raw cold-pressed juice) all I can say is: do it. Do it today!

It’s January, and if like most of us, you’ve got food fatigue after three weeks of non-stop binge eating and drinking on mince pies, mulled wine and all manner of turkey-based foods, you might be thinking about eating more healthily this month, maybe even starting a – whisper it – diet.

And restaurants are finally starting to cater to this growing market of fussy eaters – the carb avoiders, the raw food dieters, and most recently, the super-low calorie 5:2 “fast” dieters, who spend two days a week consuming just 500 calories.

As a food-lover I hate the idea of restricting what I eat, or curbing the social, interactive, fun activity that is dining out with friends. To me, dieting feels like the antithesis of what food should be, a pleasurable experience to be savoured and enjoyed, preferably around a table full of people with great conversation and flowing wine.

So it was with some trepidation that I ventured to Le Balcon in London’s St James’ to try their De-Light menu, which promises a full, and filling, three courses for 500 calories. Yes, that’s right, you can finally eat out in a beautiful dining room in central London, even on one of your “fasting” days.

The calorie content listed next to each dish on the menu was very persuasive and instantly I opted for the least calorific options. No doubt this is intentional on the part of the menu-planners. It certainly works.

In fact the first long-term study into the impact of calorie labelling on body weight, published at the end of last year, showed that labelling calories can reduce weight gain by half. In the study by the University of Glasgow young adults who were consistently exposed to prominent calorie labelling of main meals ordered meals with almost 20 per cent fewer calories than when the meals were not labelled. They reduced their likelihood of gaining any weight over a one-year period by 50 per cent. So don’t be surprised to start seeing calories appearing on a menu near you soon – the government is very keen on increased labelling on food, even in restaurants and cafes. It’s a public health trend that looks set to mushroom.

Beetroot and endive salad

I started with a beetroot, pear and endive salad – beautifully presented, it was surprisingly large and even came with a chive vinaigrette dressing. It was also quite delicious. I checked the calorie count on the menu: 45! That made it doubly delicious and left me feeling rather smug. My other half’s tuna-stuffed tomato with cucumber tartare looked incredible, but at 210 calories it was positively belt-busting by comparison, though still astonishingly low when considered alongside a regular restaurant starter.

Me, at Le Balcon, tucking into my chicken

You see eating out isn’t the same as eating in. What makes restaurant food so scrumptious is the ridiculous amounts of butter, cream, oil and salt compared to what you might use when cooking at home. It’s what makes restaurant food taste to rich, flavoursome and moreish. According to a study by the University of Toronto, the average restaurant dish contains more than 1100 calories – that’s more than half an adult’s recommended daily intake on just one plate. They also contain 151 per cent of the recommended levels of sodium and 58grams, or 89 per cent, of your recommended daily amount of fat.

Trying to replicate the flavours, taste and look of restaurant-standard dishes without the fat, salt, sugar and calories is no mean feat. “It’s not natural for a chef to think this way,” admits Le Balcon’s executive chef Vincent Menager. “But once you get used to finding ways to make dishes without the carbohydrate, fat and sugar, it is actually quite a creative process to create the menu.”

You won’t find much bread, pasta or potato on the De-Light menu, but there are plenty of vegetables and meat. Stevia is used in place of sugar and fromage frais instead of cream.

Braised Turbot Fillet and Langoustines Cream

Menager avoids frying food in oil or butter, opting for poaching, grilling or roasting instead. He use herbs and spices to add excitement and flavour to vegetables or plain meat – chilli-roasted squash is satisfying and tempting to eat. A salad with mint, rocket, peppery watercress or aromatic basil leaves thrown in will be so much more intense than a bog-standard lettuce.

Next I ordered the poached cockerel with steamed vegetables and mustard sauce – 300 calories in total. My husband chose the glazed salmon with ratatouille, which looked stunning for just 320 calories. It was genuinely delicious, light and fragrant, as well as filling. And at the end of it I felt full without the bloated, heavy, slightly uncomfortable feeling that you often experience at the end of a restaurant meal.

The De-Light meal was a success – had I not known about the virtuous lack of calories I would not have felt deprived in any way. Well, not until I glanced at the table next to me, where the diners on the regular menu were tucking into huge juicy burgers oozing with creamy cheese, served with salty, fried chips that they were frivolously dipping into sugar-and-calorie-laden tomato ketchup with hungry abandon.

Molten mango cake with light coconut ice cream, 130 calories

After that, dessert was – as someone who would looks at the pudding list before I even think about ordering my starter and main courses – a disappointment. There is simply no satisfactory way to get around the combination of sugar, cream, butter, and sometimes chocolate, that is needed to create a really great pud.

The strawberry parfait looked pretty enough and was a gallant attempt at a decadent dessert. But it wasn’t decadent. The “parfait” was actually low-fat yoghurt and reminded me of childhood meals when a French-style yoghurt constituted pudding, and there was a saccharine hint of sweetener (Stevia, perhaps) instead of sugar. While some people would still love a pudding, I’d rather forgo the calories and have a decent milky coffee instead to round off a meal. But for those with a sweet tooth that has to be satiated, the tiny 120 calories were not to be sniffed at. My entire three-course meal came to just 465 calories – that roughly equivalent to a Snickers 2togo bar at 440 calories.

While Le Balcon was possibly the grandest place to eat out on a diet, it is among a growing band of eateries catering for slimmed-down appetites. Pizza Express introduced its low-calorie Leggera menu five years ago, but has recently gone further, creating pizzas with less than 400 calories, the American Hot comes in at 396 calories – admittedly there is a hole in the centre of your pizza that has been replaced with salad, but it’s still pretty impressive that you can eat out at a high street pizza chain even on a strict diet. Your fellow guests need never know that you are watching your weight if you order the new gambaretti picante – this prawn in passata sauce dish contains just 200 calories, while the superfood salad contains 295 calories. What’s more, the lemon sorbet and an espresso come in at a mere 84 calories.

At Ping Pong you can also to chow down at minimal calorific expense – dumplings start at 84 calories, while beef and chilli parcels are just 123 calories and even king prawn and scallop sticky rice checks in at a lean 271 calories. Of course, the danger with dim sum, like tapas, is that it’s easy to over-order and max out on calories, but if you want o eat out with friends while watching what you eat, it’s a great choice as it doesn’t feel overtly healthy or worthy.

If the Atkins, South Beach or Dukan diet are more your style head to Sixtyone restaurant in London’s Marble Arch, which is offering a two-course carb-free lunch menu and a detox cocktail – the Detox Julep comprises cucumber, green tea, honey and gin – for £18 in January.

The bar at Canary Wharf’s Plateau also has 100 calorie-cocktails on its menu this month, using Fair quinoa vodka (yes, really!). Try the StratosFairic martini, made with cherry tomatoes, French mustard, celery salt, cayenne pepper, oregano, lemon juice, basil and mint.

Dining out on a diet isn’t easy, but the latest options are a whole lot better than staying in all January doing a juice cleanse.

Eating in? Try these low-calorie brands

Kirsty’sGluten- and dairy-free, and so low in calories that they have even been featured in the 5:2 diet book, Kirsty’s ready meals start from 260 calories and all promise to be less than 500 calories. Try the new Beef Lasagne, the only one on the market that is gluten-free and Thai Chicken Noodle. Available at Sainsbury’s, Asda, Waitrose, Ocado and Budgens. www.kirstys.co.uk

Soulful FoodsThis range of six one-pot meals makes an ideal choice anyone wanting a health-kick – all contain two of your five-a-day and are under 500 calories. The latest recipe, Mexican Bean and Sweet Potato with Quinoa, is 243 calories and gluten-free, while the diry-free British Pulled Pork Stew with Chorizo, Beans and Spelt is just 290 calories. Available at Ocado and Booths. www.soulfulfood.com

Cook OMG PotsAll of Cook’s OMG pots contain less than 400 calories and 14 grams of fat. The Thai-style Chicken Patties in an aromatic broth have 147 calories and 1.6g of fat, while Chicken Pho is a measly 139 calories and 1.5g of fat. Available at Cook stores and for nationwide delivery from www.cookfood.net

Earlier this week I met Tanya Maher, a nutritionist, certified health coach and co-founder of one of London’s first organic raw food restaurants. She’s tiny and perfect and looks a good five years younger than her years.

The reason? Seven years ago she went raw. After switching her diet to start drinking green smoothies each morning, both Tanya and her husband noticed that they didn’t get ill (she had been one of those people, like me, who usually gets a cold or sniffle with each new season). And when her then-boyfriend phoned her from the office one day to say that he was the only one at work – everyone else was sick with Swine Flu – she had a lightbulb moment.

After a bit of research decided to introduce more raw foods and alkaline foods into her diet. Today she doesn’t eat meat or dairy, wheat or caffeine. Instead she loads up on veggies, fruit, juices and salads, as well as healthy grains, nuts and vitamins. “Disease cannot develop, live or survive in an alkaline environment. Every ache, itch and pain is telling you that your body is too acid,” says Tanya.

“I call myself a nutritarian,” explains Tanya who hasn’t been ill once sine she made the shift in her diet. “I look for foods that offer the most nutrients – I’m not against chocolate, I love it – and it’s packed with antioxidants and flavanoids, but I pick the best raw cacao.”

I was keen to learn more about the benefits of going alkaline and also what you can and can’t eat. “Pork is the most acidic meat,” says Tanya. “And cheese is very acid, especially blue cheese. Sugar… and coffee and tea – caffeine’s so acidic.”

I feel smug. I tell her I drink decaf. She frowns apologetically. It turns out the process of taking out the caffeine (the bleaching and treating of the beans) make it just as bad, just with a different cause. “But you can make coffee alkaline – just add a slice of lemon to your coffee.”

Lemon?! I would have thought that was acidic, after all it’s full of citric acid. Wrong. It turns out that things that might be acidic in their natural state can still have an alkalising affect on the body.

So fruit (all fruit) and veg are in – the greener the veg, as a general rule, the more alkaline it will be. Spinach is the number one alkaline food, followed by kale, broccoli, cucumber, avocado… spot the trend?

Keen to give it a go, I have been doing Tanya’s Raw Alkaline Cleanse for the last 48 hours. She promises it will be both juicy and raw and guaranteed to purify your body, skin and energy.

I was SO worried about being hungry and feeling weak, but actually that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Sure, I haven’t felt full, but equally my tummy has not rumbled once. Not once! And I have been so busy drinking a juice every hour or two, or snacking on some nuts or kale wheatgrass crackers, that I haven’t had time to feel like I’m missing out. And there’s a raw organic soup, veggie sticks and tahini, probiotics and lots of water mixed with Tanya’s pH booster powder. I have to keep checking the chart to know what to eat or drink when!

The juices – cold-pressed and organic – taste simply delicious, from the green breakfast juice to to a beetroot and berry lunch juice and an energising evening mango, carrot and orange juice. The soup is divine, even though it’s cold and raw. But the kale and wheatgrass crackers, filled with fibre to scrub out your insides? Vile. It was like eating silage. I actually couldn’t stomach the whole portion. And the pH water was like drinking pond water – thank goodness for the affirmation that you recite as you drink it “It is my divine right to be healthy”. I really had to tell myself that as I swigged it back!

But everything in the cleanse is there for a reason. Probiotics to increase your intestinal flora, chlorophyll to boost your pH levels from acid to alkaline, electrolytes to hydrate and calcium to nourish you.

I’ve just reached the end and I feel great. It’s got me hooked on cold pressed juice and I’m even planning to blend up my own morning green smoothie. Which, incidentally, is Tanya’s number one tip for making the change to raw, one smoothie at a time.

If you’re feeling sluggish, like your hormones might be out of whack, in pain, or worse – making the shift to alkaline might just be the first step to recovery.

Who doesn’t love fondue? It’s easy to cook, it’s sociable, and it’s even good for you. Swiss cheese is particularly rich in mood-boosting vitamin B12 and zinc – making it a great cure for the winter blues

January can be a miserable month; its’ cold and dark, you have no money and too many post-Christmas pounds, and all the socialising of December means that you’ll probably going out less. It’s a recipe for winter depression.

In fact, the Helping Hand charity noticed such a surged in calls from depressed people in winter that it has come up with some unusual advice… eating cheese fondue.

Traditional Swiss cheese fondue is a good source of vitamin B12, which is linked with boosting energy levels and lifting spirits. It is also high in zinc, which is also believed to improve your mood.

Most importantly though, fondue is a group meal, to be shared with friends – which helps people to feel less isolated.

‘The idea is to combine eating with company as many people struggling with depression completely lose their appetite and suffer a sense of a complete lack of motivation,’ explains Klaus Ruetschi of the Helping Hand charity.

Ros Windsor of artisan cheesemonger Paxton and Whitfield agrees. “Fondue is a delicious dish to enjoy at this time of the year as it is full of flavour, warming and fun to make and share,” she says. Her top tips? “Ensure that you are using good quality cheese with strongly defined flavours otherwise you can be very disappointed with the end result.

“The classic way to make it is with French or Swiss Alpine cheeses but you can also make it with other cheeses. We’ve developed a recipe for a Stilton fondue, which is delicious with slices of fresh pear.”

“Fondue is warmth, it’s a bit like eating a hug,” says Bash Redford, founder of London’s only pop-up fondue restaurant, Forza Win(ter), which has diners clamouring for tickets and gorging on silky, runny cheese. “We do communal dining and fondue if the ULTIMATE in communal meals,” Redford explains, whose next fondue event is this weekend (16-17 Jan).

His recipe doesn’t use any wine or flour, which makes it lighter and more liquid but also intensifies the flavour of the cheese – perfect if you’re having a dry January.

Paxton and Whitfield’s Classic FondueThis is the quintessential ski-chalet dish, best served with chunks of crusty bread to soak up the alcoholic, cheesy broth.

Method:Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and add the flour to form a roux. Cook for a minute over a low heat, being careful not to let the roux burn.

Pour in the cider, whisking vigorously until you have a smooth thickened sauce. Simmer for a couple for minutes and add the sage leaves and mustard, then reduce the heat to as low as possible.

Cut the cheese into small cubes. Begin to gradually add them to the hot cider sauce stirring well and making sure the cheese is fully melted before you add more. Once all the cheese is incorporated season to taste with salt and pepper.

Transfer the fondue to a fondue bowl or eat straight from the pan.

Forza Win’s Fonduta“Forget wine, flour, all the other stuff – let the cheese do the talking,” says Forza Win’ Bash Redford. “Our Italian-inspired fonduta is not as heavy as a traditional fondue, due to the lack of flour.”

Method:De-rind and cube 1kg of your cheese and scatter it into a high-sided roasting tray. Cover it with the milk (I’ve said 500ml, but just whatever covers it is best) set aside for as long as you possibly can (minimum 3 hours, up to 6) in a fridge, covered.

When your time is up, separate the two – the milk will be useful later, so keep it.

Take a deep saucepan, on a low heat, and add the 1kg of cheese and 100ml of the cream and a time, slowly stirring – it will feel like the two things take years to come together but it’s worth it when they do.

Keep adding the cream, even if you have a melted mass of cheese and some cream, with persistence they will come together.

Add a touch of the milk to thin the fonduta slightly, then some parmesan. Never let this boil, just keep it slowly simmering away.

The 500g of cheese you have set aside can be grated and used to make it more cheesy in consistency and taste, then transfer this to the fondue stove and serve with some British squashes or pumpkins, roasted with chilli and garlic.

The Winter Terrace at The NarrowFairy lights twinkle across the water, fire pits crackle and the gentle hum of Christmas movie classics on the big screen… The Narrow’s Winter Terrace may be outdoors but you can cut through the cold with a mulled beer, French Toddy or soul-warming Le Poire Chaud (hot Perry to you and I). Festive food includes Walnut & Gorgonzola Dumplings, Goose Rillettes Crostini, and Pigs in Blankets. Until 28 February, www.gordonramsay.com

Curious TeePee at the Oast House, ManchesterThis impromptu fairy-lit tent of a bar returns to Manchester’s Oast House for another festive run, with rustic wooden benches, animal fur rugs and woolen blankets – not that you’ll need them, this place gets so busy with Christmas revelers that body heat, and winter spiced cider, are enough to warm the teepee. There’s a hog roast and turkey roast on the menu, too. Until 31 December, Theoasthouse.uk.com

Piste at Archer Street, LondonSnowshoes, vintage skis and boots line the wood-clad walls of this basement Alpine pop-up at Archer Street. Grab a seasonal apricot and cinnamon Bellini or a Let it Sloe (sloe gin, lemon, chestnut liqueur, plum liqueur, egg white and grated nutmeg) then raid the themed dressing up box to really get in the après-ski mood. Until March, archerstreet.co.uk

Tio Pepe x Pop, Cardiff, Leeds & BournemouthSherry and popcorn? Sounds weird, right. Wrong. Tio Pepe has teamed up with gourmet popcorn specialists Pop to create a festive fino and popcorn menu. For a fiver you get a glass of smooth, dry sherry and three different savoury corns: pigs in blankets, roast turkey, and stuffing with blue cheese. Until 24 December at Ambiente, Leeds; The Larder House, Bournemouth; Bar 44, Cardiff.

Winter Cinema at The Berkeley, LondonChristmas? It’s all about snuggling up and watching a classic festive film. Now you can do so in added style at this pop-up rooftop terrace that has been transformed into a pine-filled forest cinema, complete with fluffy cushions, Moncler blankets, hot chocolate and mince pies (or wine and canapés if you want to make a night of it). Bring on ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’. Until 31 December, www.the-berkeley.co.uk

Drambuie Hot Apple Toddy Bar, EdinburghWarm up with a hot apple toddy in this not-so-inventively-named bar that sits next to the glittering Princes Street Gardens ice rink. It’s worth going for the design alone – inspired by the surreal art of Salvador Dalí – the Drambuie Hot Apple Toddy Bar serves other festive cocktails, too, and is the buzzing centre of Edinburgh’s Christmas, that includes cabaret, a funfair, market, theatre, comedy and even a Christmas tree maze. Until 4 January, www.edinburghschristmas.com

The Winter Cabin at York & Albany, LondonPart sauna-part hunting lodge – think tartan, animal skins and taxidermy – the snug rustic cabin in the York & Albany’s courtyard holds just 12 guests, so it’s worth booking ahead (there’s are two-hour slots so that as many people can try it). Keep cosy with a warm buttered rum hot chocolate with marshmallows and snack on hearty wild boar sausages, black pudding scotch eggs and venison sausage rolls. Until February. www.gordonramsay.com/yorkandalbany

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What better way to enjoy the first days of spring than on an Easter trail at a National Trust property – best of all, little ones get a Cadbury’s egg at the end Over the past two years we’ve done several of the National Trust Easter trails – it’s a lovely way to enjoy a walk and … Continue reading Easter egg hunting with the National Trust →

Earlier this week I met Tanya Maher, a nutritionist, certified health coach and co-founder of one of London’s first organic raw food restaurants. She’s tiny and perfect and looks a good five years younger than her years. The reason? Seven years ago she went raw. After switching her diet to start drinking green smoothies each morning, both … Continue reading A raw diet: super healthy or a raw deal?→

Bake Off is back! Here’s a little taster to whet your appetite, courtesy of Mary Berry and The Times “Fresh limes and juicy blueberries add a lovely flavour, colour, and texture to this sponge. To get maximum juice, microwave the limes all together for 30–60 seconds before squeezing.” Serves 24 200 calories per serving Ingredients 225g … Continue reading Lime and Blueberry Ring Drizzle | The Times→

It’s no secret that I’d love to be a gardener, a florist, or better yet, a flower farmer, but it’s easier said than done in when you live in south east London. But this year I have finally started making my annual Christmas wreaths as a commercial … Continue reading Handmade wreaths→

If you are feeling the need for a mid-week cleanse then NUTRiBULLET has the perfect recipe for you. Their in-house Nutritionist has put together the perfect antioxidant-packed blast that your heart and body will love.

Full of monounsaturated fatty acids from the avocado, shown to help lower our risk of heart disease, and antioxidants from blueberries, shown to help reduce the build-up of “bad” LDL cholesterol, this creamy concoction will keep your heart healthy and strong.